Construction worker puts on the finishing touches to one of the Attorneys General offices on the third floor of Berkeley's City hall which was closed for the past two to complete millions of dollars worth of structural repairs. (JULIE PLASENCIA/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) less

Construction worker puts on the finishing touches to one of the Attorneys General offices on the third floor of Berkeley's City hall which was closed for the past two to complete millions of dollars worth of ... more

Photo: JULIE PLASENCIA

Image 2 of 3

Painters puts on the finishing touches in the stairwell connecting the Attorneys General offices and the Mayor's officein Berkeley's City hall which was closed for the past two to complete millions of dollars worth of structural repairs. (JULIE PLASENCIA/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) less

Painters puts on the finishing touches in the stairwell connecting the Attorneys General offices and the Mayor's officein Berkeley's City hall which was closed for the past two to complete millions of dollars ... more

Photo: JULIE PLASENCIA

Image 3 of 3

Retrofitted City Hall Premieres in Berkeley / Natural light now fills 64-year-old building

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

2001-01-24 04:00:00 PDT Berkeley -- Berkeley's City Hall emerged from its two-year construction cocoon this week, and although it didn't quite become an architectural butterfly, the metamorphosed building looks much lighter and is certainly bouncier.

It is also winning accolades from those who left dark, moldly cubby-hole offices in 1999 and have returned to find bright open spaces filled with natural light and with details designed to match original Art Deco fixtures.

The most dramatic change, however, is largely invisible. To protect it from earthquakes, the six-story concrete structure was cut off from its foundation and placed on 74 rubber-and-steel pads designed to let the ground move more than the building.

The main reason for clearing everyone out in the first place was the earthquake risk from the nearby Hayward Fault.

The 64-year-old building was considered so unsafe that the state Office of Emergency Services ranked it No. 1 among 500 proposals for federal seismic repair funds.

But the city staff was so successful in winning Federal Emergency Management Agency grants that it was able to increase its original $27 million budget for the project to $37 million, Cardinaux said.

The result, he said, is a "100 percent renewal."

And, noted chief architect Avery Moore of the ELS firm in Berkeley, the building's new technology is especially welcome in the current energy crunch. For example, the new pendant light fixtures (modeled after their Art Deco originals) contain fluorescent bulbs that automatically turn off when there's enough sunlight streaming through the large windows.

The windows can all be opened, and the building has no electricity-hogging air conditioning, except for the computer room. Air circulation is maintained by the open-floor plan, vents and ceiling fans that can be turned on when needed.

Arrietta Chakos, chief of staff in the city manager's office, said she was glad she will no longer have to face the "cubby and rabbit-warren design" and "that sort of damp, musty smell that used to greet you when you go in." Chakos received special commendation in 1998 for securing the extra FEMA funds that freed up city money for the renovation.

Only 1 1/2 floors had been reoccupied as of yesterday. The rest of the building was filled with construction workers, dust and yellow caution tape.

Departments are moving back in phases. The City Council and mayor move back Feb. 2 to 4, and the move is due to be completed by Feb. 18, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for March 18.

The building was originally occupied by the Federal Land Bank and was taken over by the city in 1977 when city officials moved out of the cramped and unsafe Old City Hall a block away.

It was designed with a muted Moderne exterior by architect James Plachek, whose best-known buildings are probably San Francisco's Glide Memorial Church and Berkeley's Art Deco library. He was also co-designer of the Alameda County Courthouse.